The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-05-14

~ lue snip OIL StN(0 lUCOUKO
the present crisis.
ArTAkAPAS COTTONADE.
One of the presents sent to the Press
ident upon his birthday is worthy OF
mention. 1t was II piece o" f"Attakapas
cottonade," or Acadlan cloth, pecu>
liar fabric made only in the Attakapas
country in Southwest Louisiana, and
once worn winter and summer by the
Acadian planters of that region. The
material is peculiar, OF cotton and linen
Il beautiful blue, and very thick and
heavy. 1t is almost waterproof and a
suit of it will last for years. Since the
war 1t has almost gone out Of use, as
the secret of making it belongs to the
Acadian alone. The cloth sent to Pres.
ident Cleveland was spun and woven
on tho plantation in the parish of Ibe.
ria of old Simonette lie Blanc, one OF
the patriarchal planters of tho Attaka-
pas region, who has three generations
of his own descendants living near.
This venerable gentleman was born
under the French domination, when
Louisiana belonged to France, and he
has seen his native State under four
flags. II the President wants to cap.
ture the Acadian vote Of Southwest
louisiana solid all he has to do Is 10
pay Il visit to that section and wear
his suit of cottonade to some Sunday
evening ball In Lafayette or st. Mar
tin. He won't hear any English spoken
but will see good deal of curious iifa.
|: he cares to he can dance with
widow over there, not very old, very
good looking and Il great dancer. who
lives in u hoIse which hns floor Of
hard clay, has never seen \ town larger
than st. Marlinsville 10 petit Paris
they called ii sixty or seventy years
agol but who owns nearly 35, 900 acres
of land and has 10000 head OF cattle
and 4 1000 horses grazing on this spien.
did domain 81. MO,1in RercWc.
Speaking of the Attakspas country,
! suppose you all read Cables story,
.'Carancro," that appeared In tho JAMS
uary and February Century. 1t was
tale Of that old section settled by the
Acadians, who have preserved many
Of their distinctive characteristics for
one hundred and fifty years. The good
Governor, "an Acadian, who was Con-
gresham, Governor, Senator" was
famous character ia that region aud
among the simple people. Those who
knew the country recognized the orr
ginai rs ex Governor Mouton as able
Il mau as Louisiana ever grew, a gem
tleman and one of the most accom-.
piishcd men of tho world that ever
sat in Congress. While serving as y
member of the Lower House he mar.
r al iSl of Of.
ter, ! believe, Of Mrs. Admiral Almy
and Of Capt. Frank Gardner, of the
old Army, who went South became u
major general, c0fnfnandcd the Con fed.
crate forces at Port Hudson, and died
since the war. Governor Mouton had
Il son vino graduated at West Point,
became Confederate general officer,
aud was killed in one of the battles in
western Louisiana, Cable scarcely
does tho kind hearted, couriIy, spien-
did gentleman Justice who was proud
of his Acahian ancestry, though he
had risen 80, and had been honored iu
tho highest by the State he himself
had honorcd IN turn, though the
dialogue between the good Priest and
the Governor, in which both show
themselves 20 be accomplished men of
the world, is as clever a bit as Cable
has ever written. 1t will be many
long year hence before the memory OF
the Governor, who never forgot the
humblest Of his Acadian friends in his
own cxaltation, fades away from
among the people whom he loved and
who loved him Washington Ue,uid.
Preachers must shave. The London
Truth says: Az the opening of the
church at Cannes, built in memory of
the late Duke Of Albany, the priest
who read the lessons wore musiaQhe.
! The Prince Of Wales, TO whom he was
introduced, observing the hirsute ap-
pendage to the clerical upper lip, sug-
gested that tho ornament should be re-
! moved. The suggestion was carried
out. The royal rebukc Of a modern
custom which some par5ous have
j adopted OF wearing muStache and
shaving either cheek or chin or both il
conmendabfe. A priest should either
shave clean or not shave at all. lie
should certainly not trim his face like
a dragoou, attractive though il NAV be
TO 10 the female portion of his congre-
CATION.
II lITIT,n no,